The NEW Tarmac SL8 vs SL7 | A Frame Shape Comparison 👀 

The SL8 really surprised me, it seems that, apart from the lovely aero bars, the rest of the bike is much closer to a traditional lightweight frame. Nothing wrong with that, I just don't get the aero claims and how far it has now gone off from the Venge.

Great comparison, great video. Cheers

Nice simple review

glad you made frame comparison. wanted too see whee the aero gains came from

That red color is a beauty 😍

I went to the bike store today, I actually couldn’t differentiate sl7 and sl8 until I looked really close to it 😂

Sono un felice possessore di una Aethos S-Works e noto molte similitudini ingegneristiche con la SL8 nella parte del carro posteriore, nel movimento centrale e nelle sezioni dei tubi. La differenza tra la SL7 e la SL8, sostanzialmente è in un maggior rinforzo meccanico nella sezione sterzo-forcella e di conseguenza con un look più aggressivo rispetto alla SL7. In sostanza la SL8 dà l’impressione di essere più cattiva, rigida, reattiva e nello stesso tempo comoda. In sostanza il marketing richiede novità ed innovazione e clienti disposti a spendere soldi per acquistare la Specialized dei propri sogni. Io intanto rimango fedele alla mia Aethos “per sempre”.❤

I just left Roy's in Brooklyn and I compared the SL8 to my 2022 SL7...I honestly like my SL7 slightly more in the looks department..I don't like the new seat stays and the new seat post on the SL8...but I do like the new roval cockpit aero bars that come on the SL8..I plan to swap out my ENVE ses aero bars out for the new roval aero cockpit bars..the SL8 looks like a mix of my older SL6 with my SL7..maybe a year from now I'll swap frames but for now I'm happy w the SL7..time will tell..ill wait for the feedback on the SL8 before I decide to switch over..

Ill take the red one please! That bike is absolutely beautiful!

I still have my tarmac comp bought in 2006.

Is the paint already flaking off the top of the fork at 1:20? Or is that grease?

Your SL7 is more classically beautiful than the more fugly SL8. Yes, Specialized reduced section thickness and tube thickness reduction in localized areas of the SL8 to lighten it 120g but I would never own it because a race bike should be fast AND beautiful which the SL7 is and SL8 isn't. Too many good looking road bikes available from other manufacturers for even less money. Be sure to check your headset from time to time on the SL7 as the cable routing is a stress concentration and too many who have owned the SL7 have ended up on their head...the SL8 is redesigned to reduce stress due to cable routing through the head tube. I am sure you are aware of this and hopefully keep an eye on it. With that kind of saddle to bar drop on your SL7 and size 58, you are a seriously tall dude and no doubt you are very fast on that bike. Best comparison I have seen and thank you for that. PS. SL8 Integrated handlebars are a pure money grab by Specialized. Nobody cares one saves 4 watts at 30 mph if its even true. What people do are about is you can't adjust the bar angle and you have to replace the entire $850 handlebar/stem if you need a 10mm stem length change which riders often do....not to mention contending with the brake house routing nightmare. Specialized count on consumers spending that money for profit. Can't understand why anybody who doesn't race professionally would ever buy a SL7 or SL8 with the prices they now want. Ducati money. Stupid money unless you have 150 rear horsepower and 180mm wide rear tire and 4 pot disc brakes.

It’s just weird for me. The bottom bracket area just looks so small. It feels like Specialized is reverting back to the old days of narrow tubes/junctions. It’s hard to imagine that it’s very stiff. Maybe the more rounded (less aero) tube profiles help to offset their small diameter.

Sl7 or sl8 or dogma f or giant propel Which one is the best for speed and comfort and suitable for a new rider shifted from mtb? Plz suggest one of these 4

A very interesting an informative video. One of the things I hate about most of the SL8 test videos I have seen on RU-vid is how they bang on about how similar the geometry is with the SL7. However, your video obviously shows that not to be the case. Another thing that gets me as well is how so many people just dismiss the SL8 as an evolution rather than innovation but I think they are missing the point. We're not in iPhone territory here where owners of the SL7 or even SL6 will suddenly rush out and just have to upgrade to the SL8. I think most people attracted to the SL8 will be people who are in the market for a new bike (such as myself) and will be persuaded that this really is the best race bike on the market. I just think everything about the new SL8 spells class and that Specialized have really taken everything they have learnt over the years from the TarmacVenge/Aethos and incorporated the best features of each into the one bike. That red bike looks fantastic but I also really love the white one that the testers have been touting. 👍👍👍

4:10 SL6?

common people will choose sl7 because it looks better design. in my opinion the seatstay sl8 design is a throwback, i guess 3 years later it will back to sl7 seatstay design again, because its look like sl6 seatstay LOL

Just thinking how the wheel is wider than the tire....have fun scracthing those wheels.

I just want to know where you got that scale?

500 gram difference between 2 bike sizes is pretty good.

I will start saving up to buy SL11 in Dec 2033 & ... Colnago C69 in 2037

‘The lightest’ at 7.55kg for a top end S-works I think an Sl1-SL6 with sram red rim would disagree🤔🤔

Would have been more accurate with a larger SL8 compared to the SL7, theres actually a slight variation in shapes between different sizes of the same frame

Just bought an SL7 with the huge price jump… and I dont feel like its a downgrade at all!

Bro im overall shorter than you. 6"1-ish but my inseam is 95cm 😢. If u don't mind me asking, what's your inseam? I'm almost buying a size 58 but im afraid to make an expensive mistake. You will be super helpful.

Great video, without the side-by-side look, it's hard to differentiate them.

What kind of tires

The only difference between the 7 and the 8 is ONE. Mathematics never lie

Revisit this 3 years from now when the Sl9 comes out and they’ll talk about how much stiffer the new bike is compared to this one. Xx% stiffer, lighter more aero blah blah blah.

It should be black wirhn reflective graphics

“Much of a muchness..” they said

Essa sl8 seria um bom tamanho pra vc?

What's your height mate?

You have already scratched the new handlebar with the brake lever from the sl7 😂

SL8 the lightest? My SL6 Rim Brakes chuckles at this comment

Venge Best

The bike should always be the last thing to upgrade if you already have a reasonable bike. I have an SL2 with original Ultegra 10 speed, but I regually drop guys on S Works SL7, Pinarello F12s etc because I look after my self and im flexible enough to get into a very aero riding position and sustain it. Priorities should be rider weight, power and fitness (if you have moobs and a belly then a Alley with 105 is the bike for you) then rider position and clothing, then wheels and tyres, then after that think about frame and bars etc. Always remember, bike shops make their money from selling bikes so they will always sell the benefits of a new bike when there is often much lower hanging fruit. Saying that there are a lot of middleage fat men driving supercars, so its probably similar thing with top end road bikes like this. Its all for show.

You’re riding a 58 frame. How tall are you?

I think i am losing the battle of resisting a sl8... Never had an s-Works but just fancy ine..arghhhh

Sl7 better design clearly

Next step another venge))))

That beluga headtube is a turn off 😞

The SL7 and SL8 seem very similar bikes until you try them

Most “other” Chinese bikes hace the same features

The SL8 visually looks awkward, the geometry is unappealing to the eye compared to the beautiful, clean lines of the SL7. The aero gains of the SL8 are more marketing than real (you won't be any faster). I believe the SL7 will become a sought after classic. Thanks.

So a £12000 S-Works with Sram RED weighs more than my Trek Emonda SLR with Di2 Ultegra @7.05kg but with roval Alpinist CLX-II rims instead of the Bontager rims it came with. And that cost me less than half the price of the SL8. As a non pro I doubt the supposed extra aero benefits would bother me. But I cant say that its worth twice the price of my Emonda.

When they are out of ideas…which they are. Wonder how SL9 will look like.

SL7 looks much better. They put the fork on the SL8 backwards.😂

Credo che più che il peso la vera differenza che c’è tra i due telai è quella che la Sl8 è più reattiva, aerodinamica e soprattutto più confortevole della Sl7

s-works owned by non-dentist. now that's rare

No more innovation to a bike frame, full stop.

Prefer the look of the SL7 for sure. The SL8 looks more old school, but not in a good way… All these bikes are just too expensive for me anyway.

It doesn't seem fair to me that the comparison with the sl7 is in that size, clearly Specialized must have asked for it because they made an uglier frame

How many times is this guy going to call the SL8 an SL6?!!!

il pèse un vélo taille 52 et un taille 60😅😅😅

SL anything is snake oil. Where's the Vinge bro.

Not much difference to be spending so much.

Dont they both suck and overpriced af?

Sl7 very poor design

same stupid price for a chinese frame of 500 euros. only fools throw away their money.

Both heavy crap

JUNK

Knucklehead, you can't compare the tube shapes, especially the headtube shapes, of two different sized bikes. SMH And for the love of all things righteous and good, stop saying actually.

Sorry for mean but honest comment. When I see a overweight rider with belly on such a high end light bike, I think to myself what a waste.